Welcome to PD’s Alternative Fiction
This is PD’s Alternative Fiction, weekly-serialized fiction stories in the horror, sci-fi, and thriller genres by award winning author, PD Alleva.
Why I decided to create a serialized newsletter on Substack?
There are more than a few reasons why I’m starting a Substack. I’ve been writing and publishing for a long time. My first book, Indifference, was published in 2011 and since then I’ve published another nine novels over varies genres (literary, self-help, dark fiction, sci-fi horror, and horror), while working full time in private practice as a psychotherapist and hypnotist specializing in trauma/PTSD, a career I started over twenty years ago and one that has brought great fulfillment and success. I even earned the nickname, The Wizard, from my patients because, as they would say, I take those trauma symptoms and melt them away like magic. It really has been a fantastic career, but like all good things they must come to an end.
For me, writing comes naturally and honestly I’m never more grounded, elated, and calm than when I’m penning a novel. Literature and writing have and always will be my first love and no matter what was going on in my little world of insanity (I’m speaking personally not professionally) I always found time to write. However, in order to be a successful indie author you’ve got to get yourself out there and be heard by readers. My challenge over the last seven years has been consistency with marketing and reaching out to readers. My years as a hypnotist have consisted of seeing anywhere between eight to ten patients a day, most often back to back with only a few minutes between each session to toss some food down my throat and the last thing any human being wants to do after seeing patients nonstop all day is to get on social media and create a post for my book. Seemed a bit superficial if you know what I mean.
A few months ago I decided to retire from the psychology field, choosing December 15, 2024 as my official retirement date, which means, Hey Mom, I’m a full time writer now, and I’ll have plenty of time for reaching out and connecting with readers. So, as I was planning my writing path, I stumbled upon Substack and studied what they have to offer and I have to say, I’m impressed. I’ve always wanted to publish a periodical or magazine like Weird Tales or The New Yorker (I know, they’re completely different but read between the lines because there’s definitely some duality in that sentence. Look at it this way, my two favorite all time movies are The Wizard of Oz and The Godfather. Now that’s a case of duality if there ever was one) and at the same time I’ve always categorized my stories as Alternative Fiction, namely because I’m a grunge kid but also because my stories are… different than other books that are out there. So, it made sense to merge the two and start publishing future books while also sharing them and my journey with dear friends and readers.
Seems like a no-brainer.
I did consider Patreon since just about every indie author on the planet is on there, but after some careful research I discovered that Patreon likes getting off on censoring certain voices, and as a writer I can’t go along with censorship. Considering most of my stories are a bit controversial and conspiracy minded, I chose to make a home on Substack.
Substack also provides a platform where I’m no longer dependent or beholden to Amazon, Facebook or any social media outlet and since I’ve always referred to myself as a peaceful anarchist, it seems that Substack was a definite choice for my future writing journey.
So, what is Alternative Fiction and what type of reader is Alternative Fiction for?
The best way to describe what type of reader is going to love this genre is for me to describe what type of books I love to read. I grew up reading pulp fiction like Weird Tales and Amazing Stories (thank you Dad for keeping all those old magazines), comic books and graphic novels and started reading Ray Bradbury and Edgar Allan Poe by the time I was in fourth grade. Started reading horror books in middle school-Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, and Clive Barker to name a few-while also attending honors classes in English where I was introduced to the classics from Shakespeare to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and so on and so forth throughout my school career including books like Dante’s Inferno, Frankenstein, Orwell’s 1984, Rand’s Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.
I prefer books that have depth. Depth in character and story. I prefer intelligent stories that address humanity and put a spotlight on the human condition, society, norms and trends, and yes… politics too. Stories with grand themes and clever ways of weaving those themes into an entertaining and profoundly exciting narrative and stories that drive alternative viewpoints and little-known narratives or philosophies. Of course, the narration needs to be profound and drip off the page like honey. I also enjoy taking it to the extreme, whether that’s gore or some form of torture or a taboo concept, is all good by me.
Now you know what I like and as any good writer does, they write the type of books they want to read while adding modern day storytelling. So, rest assured, what you’ll find in an Alternative Fiction story is a mix of everything above, whether that’s an extreme horror novel, a bloody sci-fi adventure, or a fantasy thriller about a possessed cat, some theme or depth is going to weave its way into the story.
The Alternative Fiction reader is intelligent, evolved (meaning, they don’t allow their emotions to run their lives), and has (un)common sense. They enjoy pure entertainment and appreciate themes, depth, and substance. The Alternative Fiction reader enjoys a good conspiracy, and the exploration of different philosophies and theories that toss humanity on its head and breaks down societal norms, trends, and systems. Mostly, they enjoy damn good characters, profound plots, and bloody outcomes.
I call it peaceful anarchy through fiction.
So, what exactly is alternative fiction? Considering my writing style, Alternative Fiction can best be described as sophisticated pulp fiction. It’s gritty, grunge, gore, and noir all wrapped into a fine little package of psychologically satisfying mind-blowing substantive entertainment that does not follow norms or trends. Alternative Fiction is good old-fashioned rebellious storytelling that cuts into the heart of humanity and tosses it on its head.
What to expect and where we’re going
Our official launch is on October 4, 2024 with the horror thriller story, The Hypnotist (no, it’s not an autobiography). I’ll be publishing a chapter (sometimes two) a week until the novel is completed.
November 25th will begin Girl on a Mission: The Dead Do Speak, a supernatural horror thriller, and on December 11th we’ll introduce you to the Cat Fight, a story about a possessed cat who terrorizes it’s adopted family. Early February will begin the release of my nine-part gothic horror novel, The Sleepy Hollow Incident.
The Sleepy Hollow Incident, however, will be released through Substack as a digital download, releasing one part each month until the official October 2025 release date. The Sleepy Hollow Incident is the third book in the Dominion of Shadows series of interconnected standalone stories. It’s a follow up to Golem and Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect. The book will be published as a rapid release serial, however, as a subscriber you’ll be able to read the full book before official publication.
The full schedule for 2025 is below, but let’s get to some other information first. As I mentioned before my goal is to turn Alternative Fiction into more than a just a newsletter. My plan over the next few years is for Alternative Fiction to publish a different serial five days a week, although all those stories won’t all be coming from me. We are going to create The Chamber Door magazine, a publication that will include short stories and novelettes, dark poetry, articles, and book reviews. I’m planning for the first quarterly release during the first quarter of 2026 and will begin taking submission in June of 2025. I also plan on opening the platform to guest authors and to take part in collaborations with other indie authors on new serials and series. Sounds like an awesome time if you ask me.
Now, let’s address the Substack elephant in the room: Paid Tiers. For now, everything I send out is absolutely free. I like to ease into new ventures and this gives us all time to get to know each other and build something profoundly awesome. We’re taking this journey together and I want you all to know that you’re more than a reader. You’re a part of the journey and your feedback is greatly appreciated. You never know, something you suggest just might make it into the story. The goal is to build an awesome community of readers and horror lovers and a place where we can all hang our hats, sit back and have a good time. After the paid tier is turned on, I’ll continue to publish The Hypnotist, Girl on a Mission and a novella (like Cat Fight) for free-AWLAYS. However, future full-length novels, author collaborations, guest author stories, and The Chamber Door Magazine will become a part of the paid membership option. The paid tier option will go live sometime before 2026. Until then, enjoy all the stories for free.
As I wrote previously, the full writing schedule is below, but I’d like to address one last thing before you go. I’ve obviously added some book covers throughout this email. Just an FYI, those covers belong to my last four published novels that all incorporate the Alternative Fiction theme. Click on any one of them to learn more.
At last, we’ve come to the end of our little announcement post. Please feel free to check out the website, scroll through and feel free to send me an email if you have any questions or hit the subscribe button and come on in for the ride. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.
Keep reading,
PD Alleva
P.S. A year ago I wrote an article on Why I Write Horror and why the genre is so important. At the time there was a lot of pushback on the horror genre and even more, the horror reader. I addressed both topics in the article, illustrating why the genre is not only profound but also a requirement for society. Feel free to read that article here.
Alternative Fiction Publishing Schedule:
October 4, 2024: The Hypnotist: Best described as Constantine meets Charlie Parker. A renowned hypnotist and empath joins a missing persons investigation involving demonic rituals that are consistent with the MK Ultra program. The Hypnotist is an ongoing series with each installment diving deeper into the depths of despair and manipulation. At this time I have six novel ideas for the series and plan on doing many more.
November 25, 2024: Girl on a Mission: The Dead Do Speak: in early 1990’s Brooklyn, NY, sixteen year old leukemia survivor, Liza Ward has a special talent she calls ‘the click.’ A talent she discovered after a near death experience: Liza is able to influence the human mind to do whatever she says. Now Liza’s father just entered rehab for alcohol addiction and she’s living with her Uncle Tommy when she takes a job with the Italian Mafia, using her newfound talent to help her father through rehab by becoming a mafia hit man. The story is a supernatural thriller with elements of horror, magic, and witchcraft. I have at least four book ideas for Liza.
December 11, 2024: Cat Fight: A possessed cat terrorizes the dander allergic mother of her adopted home.
January/February 2025: The Sleepy Hollow Incident Part One. The Sleepy Hollow Incident is the third book in the Dominion of Shadows series of interconnected standalone stories. It’s a follow up to Golem and Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect. Official publication will begin in late September 2025 as a rapid release serial, however, as a subscriber you’ll be able to read the full book before official publication. There will be either eight or nine installments, with one installment published monthly. (I say eight or nine because I’m still writing this one).
April 2025: The Dark Veil Series: The Rose Vol 3 (Glad to be back with my Alien Vampires)
June 2025: Open call to submit stories for the inaugural publication of The Chamber Door Magazine. It’s not all about me, FYI. I’d like to offer up-and-coming authors a chance to publish their stories. The magazine will feature novellas, short stories, dark poetry, articles, book reviews, and author interviews. I plan on publishing the magazine quarterly. Once published though, this will not be a part of the free lineup, just an fyi, because I do have to pay the writers who contribute. However, you’ll be able to purchase the magazine at a discount.
Additional Future Story Titles Include:
Epoch (Final Book in the Dominion of Shadows series and for those of you who have been wondering, yes, Jigglyspot has a very large part in this story)
The Dark Veil Series: The Indigo Trials (scifi horror)
The Dark Veil Series: Winter (time travel scifi)
The Adam and Eve Story (Doomsday Apocalyptic Horror)
Carnivorous Lunar Activity (I think the title says it all. I love werewolves)
Grandma (extreme horror)
Christmas Tree (extreme horror)
Damn, that’s a lot of books but it’s just the tip of the iceberg.